The present invention relates to the lighting arts. It especially relates to single-chip and multiple-chip light emitting diode components and methods for making same, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, the invention applies to light emitting packages generally, and is applicable in packaging monolithic light emitting diode array dice, edge-emitting laser dice, vertical cavity light emitting dice or monolithic laser array dice, organic light emitting devices or organic light emitting array devices, and the like. The inventive light emitting packages and components will find application in substantially any application that employs one or more light sources.
Light emitting diode components provide illumination in small, rugged, reliable packages. Light emitting diodes have been developed in many colors spanning the visible spectrum and extending into the infrared and ultraviolet. While each light emitting diode typically emits light in a narrow spectral range, primary color light emitting diodes can be combined to emit white light. In another approach for generating white light, light from a blue, violet, or ultraviolet light emitting diode is coupled with a suitable phosphor to produce white light. Other colors can similarly be generated by suitable selection of light emitting die components, phosphors, and combinations of die components and phosphors.
One issue with light emitting diode components or packages relates to light output intensity. Early light emitting diodes had low light output intensities and were generally not competitive with incandescent and fluorescent light sources. Improvements in crystal growth, device fabrication, packaging methods, phosphor materials, and the like have substantially improved the light output intensities of modern light emitting diode packages. However, improvements in light output intensities are still being sought.
Another issue with light emitting diode components and packages relates to ruggedness. Commonly used packaging techniques, such as bonding of the dice to lead frames, can produce relatively fragile light emitting packages. Moreover, light emitting diode components and packages tend to be complex. A typical single-chip package may include, for example, a light emitting diode die, a lead frame, an encapsulant disposed over the light emitting diode die and a portion of the lead frame, and a phosphor embedded in the encapsulant.
Multiple chip packages generally further increase complexity. One example of such a multiple chip package is disclosed in Lowery, U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,301, which shows various arrangements involving generally wire-bonded interconnection of a plurality of light emitting dice disposed on a support placed in a housing including a cylindrical casing and a fluorescent plate. A similar multiple chip package is disclosed in Baretz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,175. Baretz discloses a phosphor contained in an encapsulant disposed inside the housing, The complexity of multiple chip packages such as those of Lowery and Baretz can adversely impact manufacturability, reliability, and manufacturing costs.
Yet another issue with typical light emitting diode packages and components is operating lifetime. Performance of packages employing phosphor wavelength conversion of ultraviolet or short-wavelength visible light typically degrades over time due to discoloration or other degradation of the encapsulant or other materials caused by the ultraviolet or short-wavelength visible light irradiation.
The present invention contemplates improved apparatuses and methods that overcome the above-mentioned limitations and others.